University Innovation Fellows Application Period Closes 6/30/14

Run by Epicenter, NSF, NCIIA, and Stanford University, the University Innovation Fellows are seeking applications from college and university engineering students to become fellows for the upcoming year.  The fellows will "dream, design, and deliver" innovations related to real-world problems in order to learn skills and dispositions to become leaders in the global economy of the future, while transforming the culture of their campuses. Students receive 6 weeks of intensive training as part of the process.


"In order to submit the application, each student needs to provide at least one faculty letter of support, find a faculty sponsor (does not need to be the same as the letter of support) and create a supplemental YouTube clip. It is the responsibility of the faculty sponsor to apply the students for the Leadership Circle; the faculty sponsor must supply a letter of support from the President of the university or any Vice President-level administrator. Once submitted, the applications will be reviewed with the possibility of moving forward into the interview round."


Applications for the spring term are due by 30 June 2014 (with a fall round due in October).  For further information about the program and the link to apply, visit University Innovation Fellows .

California Scientists and Technologists Honored by White House

Among other honorees, the White House announced that six scientists and technologists from California have received either the National Medal of Science or the National Medal of  Technology and Innovation.  The National Medal of Science, created in 1959 and administered by the National Science Foundation, "recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering."  The National Medal of Technology and Innovation, created in 1980 and administered by the Department of Commerce's Patent and Trademark Office, "recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the Nation’s technological workforce."  

The California recipients hail from Stanford (2), USC, UC Santa Cruz, Cal Tech, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.  For more information and to see a complete list of honorees, visit  White House Science, Technology, and Innovation Awards. 

NAE Releases Real-World Engineering Programs List

The National Academy of Engineering, in collaboration with Advanced Micro Devices, has released a report on 29 collegiate engineering programs which infuse real-world experiences within their curricula.  California schools included on the list are Harvey Mudd College's Engineering Clinic Program capstone course, Santa Clara University's Field Robotics Program, and UC San Diego's Team Internship Program.   The programs were among 89 nominees, with preference given to those which could be replicated at other institutions, with assessment based upon innovation, creativity, attention to diversity, student outcomes, sustainability, and level of real-world experience.  To view the full report, visit http://www.nae.edu/File.aspx?id=65139.

"Maker Movement" Mobilizes in Mojave

To follow-up to the post here on 1 March 2011, The "Maker Movement" Working with STEM Education , Allison Gatlin reports in today's Antelope Valley Press that five local engineers from entities located at the Mojave Air and Spaceport have formed a collaborative "makerspace" or "hackerspace" for members to work on innovative designs and share common interests.  Their mission is to support the arts and STEM through outreach to surrounding communities.  For more information on the Mojave Makers, visit their wiki at http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Mojave_Makers .

Experts Believe Arts Should Be Added to STEM

As recently reported in Education Week, a number of experts opine that instruction in the arts not only engages and motivates students, but also sparks creativity and innovation; as a result, they believe that the "A" for art should be added into the STEM acronym to make STEAM.  The National Science Foundation and Department of Education have offered grants and conferences related to an art-science-design curriculum framework similar to that seen at a number of universities in recent years, marrying fine arts/design or business with engineering coursework.  Rhode Island Congressman James Langevin recently introduced a House resolution to highlight the relationship between the arts and STEM.  The article notes that the idea is not new, as pointed up by a 2008 study showing Nobel Laureates' proclivity for involvement in the arts.  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/01/13steam_ep.h31.html?qs=STEAM (registration required to read the full article)  Numerous examples of the intersection of art and science in school programs are given in the article.

In the Antelope Valley Union High School District, the marriage of art and STEM is shown through the existence of such programs as the Digital Design & Engineering Academy at Knight High School and the FAST (Falcon Academy of Sustainable Technologies) Academy at Palmdale High School, and multimedia programs at many school sites; the AVUHSD is also a participant in the AV Chambers' ArtSTEM Fair held twice per year at the Van Dam Pavilion at the AV Fairgrounds (next event scheduled for Sunday, 6 May).

"The Art of the Future" by Jim Brazell

In "The Art of the Future," well-know futurist Jim Brazell has undertaken a new "web-text-book-blog-thing," as he calls it (or an example of "eXtreme writing" on-line) regarding the future, innovation, STEM, the arts, and often touching on education reform for the 21st Century. 

As stated in his 7 November 2011 keynote address in Austin, Texas, his view of the current student incorporates career-technical education and high academic rigor.  Brazell feels that the "fundamental question for the 21st Century is how do we organize for and produce innovation and innovators?" and he sets out to provide thought-provoking clues related to digital convergence and "technopolis" public-private partnerships.  http://theartofthefuture.squarespace.com/  Upon closer reading, one can find many similarities to the environments/locales that he uses as examples, and that of the greater Antelope Valley region.

ACTE Convention in St. Louis A Hit!

The 2011 national convention for the Association of Career and Technical Education in St. Louis from 17-19 November was a great success.  Featuring keynotes by Sir Ken Robinson, Ray McNulty of the International Center for Leadership in Education, Brenda Dann-Messier of the US Dept. of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education, and Eric Chester, literally hundreds of sessions were offered on a variety of subjects and strands, including STEM, Common Core State Standards and the upcoming Common Career Technical Core, Green Technology, Career Academies, Agriculture, Business/Marketing, Administration/Leadership, Certifications, Student Organizations, and many, many more.  Materials from the sessions are in the process of being posted at http://www.acteonline.org/conventionsessions11.aspx and a Schooltube video channel is also available at http://www.schooltube.com/channel/dgoble/.  I've brought back many great ideas to pass along to colleagues, however, it has also reinforced my belief that the AV is already doing outstanding things for our students that need to be replicated.

Michelle Webb accepts 2011 Business Advocate of the Year  Award for Northrop from Mark Pelesh of the CTE Foundation

Our own Michelle Webb, Corporate Responsibility and Business Conduct Officer for Northrop Grumman's Palmdale facility, accepted the 2011 Business Advocate of the Year Award from CTE Foundation Board Chair Mark Pelesh of Corinthian Colleges on behalf of Northrop Grumman. Here's a picture of Michelle on-stage during the award presentation.

Prior to the ACTE Convention, LEGO Education and National Instruments sponsored a STEM Summit at the America's Center in St. Louis.  Delays at the airport (but nothing compared to Michelle's!!) meant that I was only able to attend one afternoon breakout session on incorporating 21st Century Skills into the classroom; a common theme is the use of technology to inspire and engage students to become creative, collaborative critical thinkers and problem solvers which will make them college and career ready.

Dean Kamen Says Fear of Failure Inhibits Innovation

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway personal vehicle and founder of FIRST Robotics, opines in the STEM Education column of US News and World Report that the fear of failure and lack of innovation in America are inhibiting US advancement in the flattening world.  He exhorts teachers to have students work on big problems (which may or may not have existing answers), which will result in failure and loss, but also to encourage and re-energize the students to keep going afterwards.  Additionally, Kamen states that government regulations stifle creativity; rather than focusing on job creation per se, there must be a focus on innovation.  "I don't think Sergei [Brin] and Larry [Page] set out to create a job for themselves. I don't think Alexander Bell or the Wright Brothers were looking to create a job. They were looking to change the world."  http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/stem-education/2011/11/02/segway-inventor-fear-of-failure-kills-us-innovation

New Policy to Promote Career-Life Balance for Scientists

On 26 September 2011, the White House Council on Women and Girls Executive Director Tina Tchen, joined by Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John P. Holdren and NSF Director Subra Suresh, announced the NSF ten-year "NSF Career-Life Balance" initiative to support research scientists and their families.  Included among the policy proposal for targeted flexibility is to allow grant funding to be delayed for up to a year for a new child or other family obligations.  First Lady Michelle Obama supports the initiative as a way to clear hurdles for women to enter and stay in STEM careers.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/helping-women-reach-their-economic-potential/2011/09/25/gIQA1dODxK_story.html

Silicon Valley Driver for Technology Jobs

At a meeting of some members of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness on 2 August, Steve Case (AOL founder), among other high-tech leaders in Silicon Valley, were hopeful that the region's technology companies and those using social media and other technology will drive a resurgence of job creation.  Entrepreneurship and innovation are seen as key components, along with "untangling visa regulations"  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/02/MNH81KIE4Q.DTL&tsp=1 and education reform.  The need for STEM-skilled workers, particularly in green-tech and engineering, was also stressed.  http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=22024 

Case was also one of the keynotes at The Atlantic's "New Work Era Summit," on 19 July, along with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Sen. Mark Warner, and a distinguished panel on the subject of "Educating for Employment."  To view the sessions, visit http://events.theatlantic.com/new-work-era-summit/2011/ 

Menifee, CA School Receives Grant to Initiate STEM Class

A team of five teachers at a Menifee, CA school received a $30,000 two-year grant from UC Riverside Extension, Cal State University San Bernardino, and Coachella Valley Unified School District to design and implement a STEM elective class for seventh and eighth graders.  The students will be using hands-on, project-based learning, including designing a running trail, in curriculum designed by the teachers to expose the students to STEM concepts and careers.  http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_sscience07.3b3163c.html

"Biohackers" Want DIY Science for Knowledge, Quicker Advances

USA Today reports on a growing movement of "biohackers" who are learning and implementing science in their own basements and backyards.  The "biopunks" are likened to those using chemistry sets in the 1950's, but with much more powerful, and sometimes dangerous, tools and elements; with a generally idealistic approach, the popular scientists are looking for solutions to global problems such as disease and pollution control without having to devote years to academic study.  Proponents in some communities, such as Mountain View, CA, have begun community labs, and others are creating relatively inexpensive equipment for home use.  Several books on the trend are now available, and a conference was recently held on the topic at UCLA.  A presidential commission has issued a report on bioethics, which acknowledges the growing field.  http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2011-06-01-science-biopunk-hacker_n.htm

Gates Foundation Donates $20 Million to New Educational Tools

It was announced yesterday that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is donating $20 million towards the cause of creating new interactive educational tools, including video games and social networking sites promoting math, science, and literacy, to support the new Common Core Standards.  The foundation is partnering with Pearson and America's Choice.  Florida Virtual School will also develop four digital courses utilizing the tools, which are expected to be ready for use by teachers nationwide in 2013-2014.  A number of the tools are expected to be free.  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iy60FQzVE2r5TL_zv95cTq8nqDFg?docId=ce608bb8dd0147d8bbec7e863f9352ab

Internet Pioneer Urges Increased STEM Innovation

Vincent Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, urged increased concentration on STEM efforts and education in order to fire up US innovation.  In a Wall St. Journal comment (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704461304576216911954533514.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop ), Cerf noted the synergy of university researchers, trained professionals,  and venture capitalists to start new companies which transfer technology to the marketplace; information access and the freedom to try and fail with new ideas are also key.  Overcoming obstacles of a national culture which does not value education and STEM and a concurrent deterioration of the K-12 education system will require emphasizing the thrill of STEM in youth through school and extra-curricular activities.